July Favorites 2016

Happy August! I’ve been looking forward to August the entire month of July for two reasons:

I officially live in Chicago!

I’ve been waiting to use my ban.do agenda.

Honestly, I’m not sure which I was most excited for. Anyway, my makeup routine stayed pretty consistent from June but now that I have an extra 2 hours in the morning I’ll be able to play with more makeup again! Here’s what I’ve been loving:

Wet n Wild Contouring Palette – Dulce de Leche: At first, I was not a fan of this highlighting shade. I tried using it under my eyes and it was too cakey. Then, I tried dipping into it to bake one day. I figured it would work well because this powder can kick up a lot of dust and oh my goodness did it work. I took a generous amount on my sponge to sharpen my bronzer (I do this so it doesn’t look muddy) and didn’t even have to blend it away. The powder melted into my skin and I just lightly dabbed over it with my sponge after a few minutes to make sure there weren’t any harsh lines. Beautiful.

Becca – Champagne Pop: There really isn’t much to say about this that hasn’t already been said. Basically, if there’s a part of my skin that’s showing, this is probably on it. I’m not saying I highlighted my shins last week but…

Pure Ice – Tickle Me Pink: This color went on my nails twice in July! It is a perfect dupe for Essie’s Ballet Slippers. You can see it in action here.

Last but not least, two hair favorites: Drybar Detox and my Revlon curling iron. I got this curling iron on clearance at Target for like $16 well over a year ago. Up until the last few months, it went completely unused. I told myself to start using it or throw it away, so I started using it. I can do other people’s hair moderately well but lack the skills to do it on myself. I’ve gone with the “beachy wave” look because it best disguises when I mess up.

I take my hair in sections and spray it with a texturizing spray before curling away from my face. I lightly spray each section with hairspray when I’m done and then comb through it with my fingers. It takes about 15 minutes. If the ends get too curled, I’ll straighten them out a bit. I like there to be a lot of volume but not so much curl. If I sleep on it, I add some Detox to give it more grit. Here it is in action: